Cody Rhodes Retains WWE Championship in Chaotic SmackDown Main Event Involving Special Referee Sami Zayn

Friday’s SmackDown in Kansas City delivered a WWE Championship match that was anything but straightforward, as Cody Rhodes walked out still the champion following a night of serious drama centered around special guest referee Sami Zayn.

The chaos stemmed largely from Gunther’s decision to powerbomb Zayn during the course of the match — a move that proved costly for the Ring General. An aggrieved Zayn, unhappy about being on the receiving end of that powerbomb, played a pivotal role in how the match unfolded, and the bout went through multiple twists before a final result was reached.

Rhodes ultimately left Kansas City with the title still around his waist, though the road to that outcome was anything but clean. The involvement of a special referee always raises the stakes for potential controversy, and SmackDown delivered on that promise in full.

The dynamic between Rhodes, Gunther, and Zayn has been one of the more layered storylines in WWE’s current run, and Friday’s match added another complicated chapter. Gunther has been one of the most dominant forces in WWE over the past few years, and his pursuit of championship gold at the top of the card has made for compelling television. Rhodes, meanwhile, continues to carry the company as its top champion following his WrestleMania moment.

With the dust still settling from what was a wild SmackDown main event, expect the fallout from Zayn’s involvement to drive significant story developments heading into WWE’s next major chapter.